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By Ian Tan Hanhonn
The NTUC-U Care Fund committed $31.5 million to help lower-income union members and those who have had their incomes significantly reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, announced NTUC on 7 January 2021.
The amount went towards the funding of various assistance programmes, such as the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) and the U Care Education Co-Funding scheme – which are still open for applications.
The NTUC-U Care Fund was started in 2009 to help NTUC union members affected by the economic downturn.
Meanwhile, 2021 will see NTUC-U Care Fund beneficiaries start benefiting from one-to-one counselling services by Mind Culture – a psychological centre in Singapore..
NTUC will partner the centre to help beneficiaries better identify, manage and overcome difficulties they may experience during the current crisis brought about by COVID-19.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Zainal Sapari said NTUC will continue to help members through challenges.
“This [helping members] would not be possible without the support of the Government, our Labour Movement network and our esteemed donors, who continue to do good despite a bleak economic situation,” said Mr Zainal, who is also the director of NTUC Care and Share Department.
NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19)
Launched in March 2020, the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) provides up to $300 cash relief to union members whose incomes have been severely affected by COVID-19.
$25 million was earmarked for the programme, and applications are still being accepted till 28 February 2021.
As of 18 December 2020, more than $16 million was disbursed, benefiting some 33,000 members.
NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers)
Some 22,000 union members received up to $100 worth of assistance, and an additional $100 per eligible school-going child, from the $6 million NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers) programme.
Rather than giving separate vouchers for daily necessities and school-related expenses, the programme now has greater flexibility allowing beneficiaries to use the vouchers based on their needs and circumstances.
About 26,000 children benefited from this initiative in 2020.
U Care Education Co-Funding Scheme
The U Care Education Co-Funding scheme, aimed at motivating union members’ school-going children to excel in their studies, is an education bursary awards co-funded by NTUC-affiliated unions and associations.
About 4,500 children benefitted from this programme last year.
CapitaLand-U Care Resilience and Enablement Fund (CAP+Ure)
Providing interim support for low-to-medium income union members who are impacted by COVID-19, the CapitaLand-U Care Resilience and Enablement Fund has benefitted close to 300 union members, with $250 NTUC FairPrice vouchers.
Given to each applicable child to help them tide over their basic nutritional and educational needs, applications are still open for this initiative.